as in unwilling
not made or done willingly or by choice
coerced participation that couldn't last
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in forced
to cause (a person) to give in to pressure
was coerced into signing the document
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Recent Examples of coerced
Olivier Kempf, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Arcangela Tarabotti, a seventeenth-century Venetian nun who was put into a convent against her will, wrote a critique of coerced enclosure that begins by eviscerating the idea that men are by nature superior to women.
—Chandler Fritz, The New York Review of Books, 21 Mar. 2026
Deradicalization is equally vital—not as a coerced reeducation, but as part of a healing process that encompasses Israelis as well as Palestinians.
—Samer Sinijlawi, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2025
Prosecutors retried one of the men, John Kogut – who had made a coerced confession to the murder – but he was acquitted.
—Lauren Del Valle, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
The coerced confession sparked a series of events that would derail the lives of Springsteen and Michael Scott, who were both wrongly convicted and imprisoned for the yogurt shop murders.
—Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 5 Oct. 2025
Winters writes that this initial system of coerced labor didn’t go very well for the elites.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 Aug. 2025
Like Netflix's popular 2015 docuseries Making a Murderer, The Yogurt Shop Murders explores unethical interrogation tactics used by law enforcement and questions of coerced confessions.
—EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
Our university’s institutional review board approved our procedures, making sure Chris was safe and not coerced in any way.
—David Hu, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
The funny thing is, Austin fathered seven children in all, but only Dot, Betty and Helen were coerced into performing, and their father’s monomania is compared, quite alarmingly, to such bullying stage fathers as Murray Wilson (The Beach Boys) and Joe Jackson (The Jackson 5).
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
However, in early 2026, Banegas claimed his attorneys coerced him into pleading guilty and sought to change his plea.
—Joan Murray, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
Two similar situated individuals, both coerced to commit a murder have a different sentencing structure.
—Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 3 Mar. 2026
Kamaria Nelson, 25, was charged with pandering and robbing the girl, who police say left her group home last year in the company of another teen, two women, and an adult who allegedly coerced her into prostitution.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
Over the years, the gaming platform has been at the center of several lawsuits, including one filed last year where a California woman alleged that her teenage son was groomed and coerced to send explicit images on Roblox and Discord.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026
The state’s prisons unconstitutionally coerced labor by levying severe punishments — including solitary confinement — against prisoners who refused to work, Denver District Court Judge Sarah Wallace found in the 61-page ruling.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
And despite widespread reporting about coerced conscription in Russia, Ukraine has engaged in the same practice, with some new recruits sent to the front without adequate training.
—Olivier Kempf, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Arcangela Tarabotti, a seventeenth-century Venetian nun who was put into a convent against her will, wrote a critique of coerced enclosure that begins by eviscerating the idea that men are by nature superior to women.
—Chandler Fritz, The New York Review of Books, 21 Mar. 2026
Deradicalization is equally vital—not as a coerced reeducation, but as part of a healing process that encompasses Israelis as well as Palestinians.
—Samer Sinijlawi, The Atlantic, 13 Nov. 2025
Prosecutors retried one of the men, John Kogut – who had made a coerced confession to the murder – but he was acquitted.
—Lauren Del Valle, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025
The coerced confession sparked a series of events that would derail the lives of Springsteen and Michael Scott, who were both wrongly convicted and imprisoned for the yogurt shop murders.
—Emiliano Tahui Gómez, Austin American Statesman, 5 Oct. 2025
Winters writes that this initial system of coerced labor didn’t go very well for the elites.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 7 Aug. 2025
Like Netflix's popular 2015 docuseries Making a Murderer, The Yogurt Shop Murders explores unethical interrogation tactics used by law enforcement and questions of coerced confessions.
—EW.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Verb
Singh, however, argued that Jones was not coerced but fearful of the consequences.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 Mar. 2026
Our university’s institutional review board approved our procedures, making sure Chris was safe and not coerced in any way.
—David Hu, The Conversation, 18 Mar. 2026
The funny thing is, Austin fathered seven children in all, but only Dot, Betty and Helen were coerced into performing, and their father’s monomania is compared, quite alarmingly, to such bullying stage fathers as Murray Wilson (The Beach Boys) and Joe Jackson (The Jackson 5).
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026
However, in early 2026, Banegas claimed his attorneys coerced him into pleading guilty and sought to change his plea.
—Joan Murray, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
Two similar situated individuals, both coerced to commit a murder have a different sentencing structure.
—Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 3 Mar. 2026
Kamaria Nelson, 25, was charged with pandering and robbing the girl, who police say left her group home last year in the company of another teen, two women, and an adult who allegedly coerced her into prostitution.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 2 Mar. 2026
Over the years, the gaming platform has been at the center of several lawsuits, including one filed last year where a California woman alleged that her teenage son was groomed and coerced to send explicit images on Roblox and Discord.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 20 Feb. 2026
The state’s prisons unconstitutionally coerced labor by levying severe punishments — including solitary confinement — against prisoners who refused to work, Denver District Court Judge Sarah Wallace found in the 61-page ruling.
—Shelly Bradbury, Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coerced
Adjective
-
Both remind me of Ray’s leads, who sense that they’re being thwarted or not meeting expectations, but seem unable or unwilling to resolve anything.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Mueller repeatedly referred questioners back to the text of his report, apparently unwilling—or unable—to add any words of his own.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Soft, adjustable lighting, outdoor rain showers with peepholes framing the scenery, incredibly comfy poolside daybeds, super-crisp sheets, open-plan bathrooms with capacious closets—everything works, but nothing feels forced or superfluous.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
But Broidy’s suit received tremendous publicity, driving away all of Global Risk’s clients, even the Qataris, and Chalker was forced to lay off its entire staff.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Even a spontaneous side order of roasted carrots with pomegranate yogurt is haunting me, in a wonderful way.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
-
And Stanford forbade spontaneous demonstrations across much of campus.—
Rose Horowitch,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Discussions were had at those meetings, and every single thing that has happened has been compelled by council action.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Your position urging Broward County to choose resiliency over regret reflected exactly why so many residents felt compelled to speak up.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Garland died in 1969, of an accidental overdose of sleeping pills, but the tragedy did not hamper Minnelli’s ascent.—
Matt Weinstock,
New Yorker,
25 Mar. 2026
-
An accidental house fire displaced seven people, including one child, early Wednesday in south Fort Worth.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Present and correct, just in smaller quantities than previously, and now obliged to make polite conversation with Alexandra Champalimaud’s additions.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The difference is that, while Carolyn struggles to define herself against expectation, John has always obliged expectation.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
For example, you're not obligated to buy the car rental company's expensive insurance, regardless of what a car rental salesperson claims.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
According to Castle, simple math suggests that the more fake streams the streaming companies are able to eradicate from their systems, the less money they’ll be obligated to dole out to labels.—
Kyle Eustice,
VIBE.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Coerced.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coerced. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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